The Teacher Tunnel Podcast

The Teacher Tunnel Podcast is an entertaining and authentic look at the teachers and leaders in education and beyond. What are their habits, routines, and strategies? As a teacher and learner, Jon Belt wants to bring great people and thinkers to the surface and share their thoughts and insights about teaching, learning, self-improvement, & development. ​

Categories

The Teacher Tunnel Podcast is a real, entertaining and enlightening look at teacher and leaders in education and beyond. We learn from these leaders narrative, daily rituals, habits, and routines. As a teacher and life-long learner, Jon Belt wants to bring great people and thinkers to the surface and share their story.

In this episode, I speak with the Teresa Danks aka "The Panhandling Teacher. Teresa has been featured on Good Morning America, Inside Edition, and even the Harry Connick Jr. Show. Like many teachers in this nation, Teresa was fed up with the lack of respect towards teachers in this state and instead of waiting for someone else to step up she started voicing here concerns — first with panhandling for classroom supplies and then creating a petition after another teacher pay increase in Oklahoma failed on the Senate floor.

We discuss Teresa's journey up until this point, the fear that teachers need to relinquish, and some action steps and advice to those teachers listening.

Show Notes

Introduction of Teresa

Panhandling for the Classroom

Raising $40,000 for teachers

After the failure of Step-Up

Petition for Walkout

Non-Profit Begging for Education

Action Steps Today

Call up another teacher, parent, or Oklahoma citizen

Make some signs

Go on a busy corner and hold up the signs

Quotes from the episode

“A teacher like you is why I'm alive today." Unknown

"You would not believe how hard it is to give away money in education." Teresa Danks Roark

"We have nothing else to lose but have everything to gain and we are worth it."Teresa Danks Roark

"Fears are educated into us, and can if we wish, be educated out."Karl Augustus Menninger

Teacher Tunnel Podcast #37

In this episode, we speak with two West Virginia teachers that made a big impact in their county and state. Catherine Pizzino and Greg Phillips speak about the beginning and end of the West Virginia teacher strike plus give advice to those Oklahoma teachers currently in limbo.

"When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers."Ralph Waldo Emerson

Teacher Tunnel Podcast

Teacher Tunnel Podcast has taken a bit of a break since our last episode, and was planning on pushing out the new season of the podcast later in the month, but due to the current situation in Oklahoma I thought it would be a great time to talk with the leaders of a few movements happening in this great state.

In the episode, we discuss the Oklahoma Walkout and the impact it will have on our state, we discuss student walkouts and what to do if your son, daughter or student is fired up to invoke change and take a stand, and where this state is headed if something doesn’t get fixed.

Joe Ferraro is getting 1% One Percent Better every day and he's hoping to help you get better with him. Joe's podcast, 1% One Percent Better is helping one individual at a time develop an arsenal of information to get better with every listen. Joe is in his 18th year and he teaches English and Public Speaking to seniors as well as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach.

In this episode, we discuss social and emotional learning, her recent Ethiopia trip, and meeting The Batman - Christian Bale but first, we start with the history of her name that leads into her super teacher origin story.

On today’s episode, we have a friend of mine all the way from the UK, Tallal Gondal. Tallal is a Math Lecturer at Brooksby Melton College in the United Kingdom. He was born in Saudi Arabia, lived in Pakistan and now calls the United Kingdom home. He started a YouTube channel less than a year ago called Hustle Is 4 Life Motivation where he brings on "amazing guests from all over the world who are doing awesome things to add value to others." Like me, he is learning from their habits, strategies, and routines. We discuss the growth mindset, his networking strategies that have guided him to speak with some great people on his channel, negative self-talk and of course book recommendations.

"It's in keeping with Nature to show our friends affection and to celebrate their advancement as if it were our very own. For if we don't do this, virtue, which is strengthened only by exercising our perceptions, will no longer endure in us."

Seneca, Moral Letters, 109.15

Have you ever caught yourself feeling jealousy or selfishness when looking upon others successes?

“If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you.”

In this episode, we have the innovation specialist and author of "Pure Genius" - Don Wettrick. Don is leading the way in changing how we think of education. Getting out of the dark ages and into the future with his innovation class and popular podcast - StartEdUp. He has interviewed industry titans like Gary Vaynerchuk, James Altucher, Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, plus a video call from Tim Ferriss with his students. His voice is needed in the 'fix it' mentality when it comes to education. He wants to change the conversation from how can we make it better to how can we change it completely because change is happening all around us daily. My first introduction to Don was an interview he did with Tom Bilyeu on Inside Quest and it completely altered my views on the classroom dynamic. Watch the interview and you will see what I mean.

I love all the guests I've had on the podcast so far, but this guest was special because I don't think I would have started this podcasting adventure if it wasn't for the inspiration Brian gave without even knowing me. His podcast "Talks With Teachers" is one of the most popular educational podcasts out there. He brings inspiring stories from some of the best teachers around. When I was still in my infant stage of teaching I started listening to this podcast and realized that it was okay to fail, some of the best teachers in the nation had bad days and lessons go terribly wrong. In 2013 was when I started listening. I would listen in the car on my way to work, morning runs in the icy cold weather to warm me up - corny I know. But true. It gave me ideas on how to be better, and it also helped me to stop being so hard on myself.

Along with his podcast and blog, Brian is a contributing writer for Edutopia, creator of aplithelp.com and #aplitchat on twitter. He is in his 13 or 14th year as an English teacher - he’s wasn’t sure of the exact number. He currently teaches AP Literature and Composition, creative writing, and public speaking at Miller’s Place High School in Long Island. He’s also a varsity basketball coach, husband, and father of 2. In this episode We talk about finding balance for all the things, the moment he decided he wanted to become a teacher, the book that introduced him to a love of reading, his morning routine, and the new journal he created called the Daily Teacher.

This edition of Monday Meditations takes us to the topic of organization. I list 3 organizing tips I will be working on this week to get my life and work organized. If you need an accountability partner contact me at http://www.teachertunnel.com

Welcome to another edition of Monday Meditations. This week we will focus on a weekly challenge, and this challenge stems from a quote by Knute Rockne

“Build up your weaknesses until they become your strong points.”– Knute Rockne

Weekly Challenge 1. List three things that you perceive as your weaknesses 2. List how those perceived weaknesses could become strengths

I know that my weaknesses hold me back from so many things in my life, but listing them and seeing them on paper plus visualizing how they can become our strengths can be a tremendous breakthrough and habit to build.

You have roughly 10,000 minutes to accomplish the challenge this week. That puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? To end is a quote from the greatest basketball player of ALL TIME: Michael Jordan

“My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.”⏤Michael Jordan

In this episode, we talk with The Tech Rabbi: Michael Cohen. Michael is a designer and technologist turned educator. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Trainer who advocates, speaks, writes, and facilitates workshops on creativity and innovation. He works with schools on a local and national level to help them develop a creative mindset to influence and empower individuals in becoming confident and passionate problem solvers. You can hear Michael’s story of creativity and innovation through social media, and conferences such as Apple Education Events, EdTechTeacher Summits, iPadpalooza, ISTE, and SXSWEdu. He holds a Master of Science Education (Educational Technology) from California State University-Fullerton and a Bachelors of Fine Art (Printmaking and Design) from California State University-Long Beach. The Tech Rabbi is not just a brand, but a real thing. He is, in fact, a real Rabbi.

Show Notes

Michael did not like school

Did not enjoy school

The moment Michael decided he wanted to be a teacher

What a classroom should look like with 1:1

How to get more organized chaos in the classroom

How to be inspired by people that are doing amazing things, and cultivating creativity from work that has existed before.

We all have goals in one form or another, and some come to fruition and others die quickly. I’m talking about the big lofty goals because many times we want them to happen tomorrow, but what about the lightweight goals underneath the heavier ones. Are those most important?

On today’s episode, we have an English Teacher of thirty-six years - Glenda Funk is an evolving teacher going into her thirty-seventh year as a teacher. She is nationally board certified, has a blog called Evolving English teacher, and created 113 lesson plans and 14 units on the Better Lesson Series website which gets 500 downloads a week. She graduated from SW Baptist University with a degree in Speech Education and a Masters in English from Idaho State University. In this episode we learn about the balance she’s adopted in her work and life, her blog, and the declining retention rate of teachers staying in the profession as well as entering it.

Weekly Challenge: I challenge you listening to reach out to a friend you haven’t seen in a while and ask them to join you in an activity. See if they want to go to a movie, bowling, out for drinks, a walk, hike, or maybe even a yoga class. Sometimes, our comfort zones keep us from reaching out and showing we care. This is a simple challenge that we can all accomplish. Who is your reach going to?

Educator and Historian George Burton Adams is known for saying:

"There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success."

On today’s episode we have author, teacher, podcaster, and triathlete - and did I mention she has Cerebral Palsy-CP for short. She just turned thirty and the sky is the limit for this expert on everything CP. In this episode, we discuss self-publishing a book, the triathlon in Hawaii she attempted, and her podcast "Butterflies of Wisdom" which I was a guest on her show. We learn a lot about how a disability can't stop you from accomplishing your dreams.

If you are like me you love to collect journals with the hope of filling them up, and then months go by and nothing. I always have these grand ideas of "I'm going to journal today!" I get pumped and at night I write my thoughts - maybe even the next day I write something down and like any new skill, the excitement slowly fizzles and the journals start collecting dust. I have a nice collection of journals.

There are numerous amounts of health benefits to journaling, and here are some blog posts I have found to be helpful plus this helps me to justify having so many blank journals.

Last year I found a journal I can actually fill in. I fill in this journal every morning and most nights, but it's not the type of journaling you are thinking. It's called the Five-Minute Journal, it's a beautifully designed hard back journal that focuses on being grateful for the day. It's more or less fill in the blank, and its mission - to take five minutes to fill it out. It comes with a daily quote and a weekly challenge. I love it, and I will continue to fill it. So, that is where I started, and lately, I began having a 'Google Doc' practice. I made a 'Google Doc' and put the date, and then I googled two-minute timer, and I have two minutes to type my thoughts, feelings, or whatever is on my mind. At first, I began with one minute, but have gradually added more time. It's a practice I get excited for, and many of the health benefits are happening from it, such as:

solving problems

stimulating ideas

resolving feelings

building self-esteem

developing a positive daily practice

We can all do two minutes a day.

Action Steps Begin this week by just thinking about this positive practice

Get your favorite empty journal (if you need one I've got plenty) -OR- create a Google Doc and title it

Put the day's date

Find a timer and put it on one minute

Start writing - no judgments/critiques and no worries about spelling or punctuation, just write...

If you are having trouble - start writing or typing about how you have nothing to say

On today’s episode, we have Sean Carney, and this episode is a little different from previous shows because Sean isn’t a teacher in the traditional sense. He will be teaching us some things today about his profession. so think of it as a guest speaker to the classroom. A few years back, I taught a 7th grade ELA class and I had a quiet student named Logan, but Logan had a talent. He had the deepest voice I've ever heard from a 7th grader. Lets just say I would have enjoyed listening to him read Apple's Terms & Conditions pages we all love to NOT read. Sean is a voice actor, who recently graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and received his degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, with a Minor in Communication Studies focused on public speaking. He was looking to pay for expenses at college his freshman year in 2013 and heard about an online platform called Fiverr - and after about a year he committed to it full time. He is now the top rated voice-over actor on that site, and in the last four years has completed well over four-thousand gigs. Sean drops everything you need to know to get into the voice over business. We discuss actions you can take today, tools and resources for those aspiring to be in his industry, teachers that influenced his success, and even what microphone to use.

Welcome to the first edition of Monday Meditations. I am your host Jon Belt, and this is an addition to the Teacher Tunnel Podcast with just me and no guests as of right now, maybe in the future, we will have guests. and just to clarify what this is and what this is not. ​What this is not: This is not a meditation series I will not have calm, relaxing music on to quiet the mind I will not start chanting or delivering instructions on chantingWhat this is: A short audio essay to propel you into the week. We all, especially teachers look at Mondays as a struggle, and even on break, I find Mondays still give me a certain level of anxiety. So, this is to help in rendering Mondays as an exciting and happy time.

Links discussed in the episodeVoxer Group (Sign up and email your username and why you want to join, and I will add you to the group)My email

Books mentioned in the episode"The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papsan

On today’s episode, we have Nick Mataish - Nick is a Ninth Grade Algebra teacher in Webster, New York at Webster Schroeder High School. He is an aspiring relationship coach, writer, and has developed a blog called movingpastmediocre.com - where his focus is Mindset, Marriage and Manifesting Greatness, and like me, he is a fan of alliteration. He received his bachelor's degree in Math Education and a Masters degree in Special Education from his hometown Niagara County, NY at Niagara University. He is all about self-improvement and self-development not only for himself but for his students and relationships he builds. We discuss many topics including a student teaching setback during his sophomore year in college, his foundational-five morning routines, the goals for his website and the math rap he made for his students.